The British drink tea several times a day. For breakfast, they like to brew Earl Gray black tea. There is a legend that it was named after Charles Earl Grey. He was in 1830 the famous Prime Minister of Great Britain. During this time, Earl Gray tea became popular and subsequently spread throughout the world. This was largely due to the aroma with citrus notes, since its main component is bergamot oil.
The composition of the drink
Earl Gray most often consists of three types of large-leaf tea: Indian, Ceylon and Chinese. Sometimes only Indian is used, which, however, does not prevent this drink from being unique.
The main ingredient is bergamot oil. Quality tea "Earl Gray" with bergamot should have a good aroma, be strong and useful due to its composition.
It is bergamot that gives the hot drink freshness and some softness of taste. The fruit itself has a sour-bitter taste, as it is a hybrid of citron and orange. Tea with bergamot oil has an exquisite aroma and a slightly citrus flavor, making it popular all over the world.
The right way to brew tea
In order for Earl Gray tea to reveal its unique taste, it must be brewed correctly. In addition to high-quality tea, it is necessary to use clean water - bottled or past the filtration and purification system.
To brew delicious tea, you will also need a special teapot. It is best if it is clay or porcelain, since if you use glass or plastic, the drink may become cloudy from sunlight.
Earl Gray is not brewed very strongly, otherwise the taste of bergamot will not be felt. Usually there are 2 teaspoons of tea per 300 ml of liquid. The correct brewing process can be broken down into steps. To make delicious tea, follow these steps:
- prepare the kettle. It is necessary to rinse the dishes with boiling water right before brewing;
- pour the required amount of Earl Gray tea into the teapot;
- fill it with hot water, the temperature of which should be 95 degrees. The drink is usually never poured with boiling water;
- after five seconds, drain the hot water so that the tea is cleansed and can later reveal all its taste and beneficial properties;
- once again fill the tea leaves with hot water and let it brew for 5-7 minutes.
Now you can enjoy the rich taste and aroma of Earl Gray tea. It can be brewed up to six times and will taste the same as it did at the beginning.
Other ways to use "Earl Grey"
Tea can not only be brewed, but also added to pastries. Cupcakes and buns acquire an unusual aroma of bergamot and become a healthy dessert.
There is also a way to make truffles with bergamot. A small amount of Earl Gray tea is added to the cream and brought to a boil. After filter and cool them for four hours. Grated dark chocolate is combined with cream, whipped and formed into balls. Melt some more dark chocolate and dip the balls in it, then roll them in natural cocoa.
Popular brands of Earl Gray tea
Bergamot tea is sold in tea bags. There is also a large-leaf version for brewing in a teapot. Sometimes in stores you can find "Earl Gray" with bergamot and lemon.
Bergamot tea is produced by various companies around the world. Most of all this drink is made in England. In the first place put the company "Twinings". Next on the list is Ahmad Earl Gray tea. In third place among English brands is Bigelow.
In France, Count Jardin is considered the best tea with bergamot. Lipton tea is sold all over the world, which is practically not inferior to the products of Twinings and Ahmad Tea Ltd.
Beneficial features
The benefits of daily use of Earl Gray are quite large, because this tea with bergamot
- acts as an antidepressant. A drink with bergamot calms the nervous system, relieves tension and fear;
- contains antioxidants - substances that cope with the oxidative processes of free radicals. Thanks to this, your immunity will be stronger, which will prevent the occurrence of many diseases. To do this, it is enough to drink one cup of tea a day;
- contributes to the accelerated process of weight loss. Earl Gray tea speeds up metabolic processes, but only if you drink it without additional products, such as sugar, honey, milk. It is allowed to add a slice of lemon;
- restores energy. Earl Gray may well replace morning coffee, as it also contains caffeine, but at a much lower dosage. Therefore, in the morning you can brew stronger tea to wake up and recharge your batteries;
- helps regulate blood sugar. Earl Gray tea reduces blood sugar and cholesterol;
- regulates the digestive tract. Tea with bergamot relieves abdominal cramps, nausea, intestinal discomfort;
- useful for colds. It helps to lower the temperature, relieves the symptoms of sore throat, runny nose and pneumonia.
Now it has somehow become fashionable among young people to drink tea all the time! Social networks are inundated with deeply philosophical posts about tea, such as: “Don’t beg for love, make yourself tea with cookies”, teenagers post their tea selfies (pictures with a cup of tea) in huge numbers, etc. I have nothing against, let them drink better tea than Screwdriver) I hope this will at least raise the level of health of our nation.
The main thing is not just to drink tea. And drink GOOD tea.
I was passed on from my parents the confidence that Ahmad tea is good tea. In any case, they have long preferred it to other brands of tea. English quality and all that.
I myself like it very much, especially Earl Grey.
This is a tea with the addition of bergamot (most often with a flavor based on bergamot oil). This tea rightfully has some kind of bewitching English charm) In addition to the rich taste and magnificent citrus aroma, this tea also has a legend, and not even one.))
The legend explains the name "Erg Grey". Earl - translated from English means "earl". Count Grey. The tea was named after Earl Charles Gray, who lived in England in the 17th century, because his ship, carrying tea and barrels of bergamot oil in one hold from Indian plantations, got into a storm. From which, as you can guess, the bergamot oil spilled and soaked the tea. They did not throw away the goods, because. he was very expensive. They just offered people a new kind of tea))
There are even more poetic legends about the Chinese emperor and the Indian raja, whose unfortunate sons Earl Gray rescued during shipwrecks and received from their fathers as a token of gratitude the recipe for this tea).
It's all nice and pleasant, makes tea drinking even more filled with meaning)
I like Ahmad bergamot tea for its natural aroma. Someone will say that he is harsh, but, have mercy! Earl Gray is not supposed to be soft! If you have dealt with pure bergamot oil, then you know that the aroma is very rich, harsh, not like other citruses.
Ingredients of Ahmad Earl Gray tea:
fine black tea
Bergamot food flavor
I bought Ahmad Earl Gray tea both in bulk for brewing in a teapot and in bags. They both tasted the same and loved it.
Jan 13, 2017
Tea with bergamot has a lot of fans. Some people like black tea with this aromatic additive, others like green tea. And everyone will have convincing arguments why their drink is better.
And here's the question what is bergamot - pear or citrus, will confuse many. In nature, you can find both.
There is, for example, a variety of pears of Russian selection called "Moscow Bergamot" and there is a citrus fruit bergamot, which we know quite a bit about, because you will not find it on the shelves of our stores - it is inedible fresh.
But it is this bergamot that is used to make tea.
There are two versions of the origin of the fruit: the first (and only a few adhere to this point of view) is that bergamot is the result of a mutation of the orange; according to the second version, the plant was bred by people.
Its homeland is Asia, but the name is European, in honor of the Italian Bergamo, the city where the plant was first purposefully grown.
However, it is possible that the name of the fruit is a translation from the Turkish word meaning "princely pear". Why not? The fruit type of bergamot is indeed pear-shaped.
In general, this plant was tortured by comparisons and identification errors. Sometimes, for example, it sounds like this: bergamot and lime are the same(in some photos they really look alike). No, not the same, although both represent a large group of citrus fruits.
Bergamot is also confused with Monarda, a herb whose aroma is similar to citrus. But how can you put an equal sign between a herbaceous plant and a tree reaching a height of ten meters?
It turns out: the less we know about something, the more conjectures and myths are born. Although in the case of bergamot, you can fix everything - learn more about it by growing it as an indoor flower.
According to experts, growing bergamot at home is an easier process than if you took up any other citrus crop.
This plant needs a lot of light.- choose for him a window that looks east, south or west. Keep out of direct sunlight, though, to avoid burns.
In winter - illuminate with lamps to artificially lengthen daylight hours - this is important for bergamot. The optimum temperature at which it grows rapidly is 20-24 degrees, humidity is high.
For propagation, seeds or cuttings are used.. True, in the first case, bergamot will not bloom and will not set fruits. If this option does not suit you, purchase a bergamot stalk.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the video describing the healing properties of bergamot from the program "1000 and one spice of Scheherazade":
Origin story
Bergamot tea gained popularity in Europe in the early 19th century. with the light hand of Earl Charles Gray.
An English aristocrat rescued the son of an influential Chinese nobleman during a shipwreck, who presented Gray with bergamot tea as a token of gratitude.
The count liked the drink so much that he contributed to the penetration of this tea into the markets of Europe, and first of all in his native England, and popularized it with all his might.
Ingredients: essential oil and other components
As part of bergamot, scientists have discovered more than three hundred substances useful for humans, these are vitamins, carbohydrates, trace elements, dietary fiber and the most remarkable - essential oil.
Basically, for the sake of it, the plant is grown, it is obtained from leaves, flowers, peel of bergamot fruits, and even from young sprouts. The best method by which you can get the highest quality natural product is hand pressing.
For medicinal purposes, bergamot began to be used at the very beginning of the 17th century, during which time scientists discovered many new valuable qualities in the plant.
For example, discovered the substance furocoumarin affecting skin pigmentation. Based on it, lotions and tanning creams are produced today, as it is able to give the skin a rich, even shade.
Benefits of bergamot tea
A tea cup retains many of the beneficial properties of bergamot. This tea is used to:
- strengthen immunity;
- relieve the patient of fever by lowering body temperature;
- soothe and relax a person who is under stress;
- activate brain activity;
- cleanse the skin, normalizing the work of the sebaceous glands;
- get rid of herpes;
- help the stomach and intestines function smoothly;
- in diabetes - reduce blood sugar levels.
Many people suffer from high blood pressure, it is important for them to know raises or lowers blood pressure tea with bergamot.
Medical studies have not revealed the negative impact of the drink on the body of hypertensive patients. Rather, the opposite process occurs - the pressure decreases slightly. However, to feel real help, the drink must be taken regularly, and not occasionally.
The medicinal properties of tea with bergamot are used in the fight against various infections, recommended during the treatment of sinusitis, influenza.
Interestingly, the effect of bergamot on green tea and black tea, which contain a small amount of caffeine. Citrus fruits reduce the effects of caffeine on the body, make the drink less "aggressive", and therefore acceptable for many categories of people.
Useful properties for men
Tea with bergamot helps men to normalize potency if it is caused by stress, low mood.
To achieve the desired result, tea should be drunk weakly brewed, but regularly. Black is better, as green has the opposite, relaxing effect.
Bergamot as an aphrodisiac adds sexual strength to a man, sharpens sensations.
For kids
Useful for adults, bergamot, according to experts, cannot be recommended for children due to possible allergic reactions, the risk of disturbing sleep patterns, and the danger of overexciting the child.
Doctors do not have a unanimous opinion regarding the age limits: some believe that bergamot tea can be given to children from the age of three, others consider it from ten, and still others from twelve.
It is emphasized that special studies on this problem have not been conducted.
What is useful for women
Women appreciate bergamot tea because it helps to lose weight. This product normalizes the metabolism and blocks the "programs" of fat accumulation.
Unfortunately, it is also impossible to drink it without looking back: it stimulates menstruation, and sometimes it can provoke uterine contractions.
If a woman has any gynecological diseases, then it is better to refuse tea with bergamot just in case, so as not to incur problems.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
During pregnancy: pregnancy is a serious reason to temporarily switch from bergamot tea to any other, especially in the first months (due to the threat of miscarriage).
In the later stages, tea with citrus fruit can be consumed, but in moderation. Pregnant women who drank several cups of bergamot tea a day complained of heartburn, irregular heartbeat, and severe headaches.
Is it possible while breastfeeding? Breastfeeding (HF) involves the use of products that enhance lactation. Tea with bergamot has such properties.
Nursing mothers can use it, provided that they carefully monitor the well-being of the baby and refuse bergamot, noticing the slightest signs of an allergic reaction to this product.
If you want to buy tea with bergamot, pay attention to the inscription "Earl Gray" on the package - this is the name of the tea, in which the essential oil of citrus fruit is used as a flavoring agent.
This drink was introduced to the market by almost all tea brands that are popular today.
Greenfield
Among the drinks brand Greenfield tea bags "Earl Gray Fantasy"(also called "Earl Gray") is considered the most festive thanks to bergamot and tops the rating of teas of this brand.
The basis of the drink is Ceylon tea grown on Uva's plantations. Recommended as an invigorating morning drink and afternoon tea. All flavors can be found at the link.
Lipton
Black tea with lemon and bergamot from the Lipton brand, according to the intention of the manufacturers, should plunge a person into the luxury of the East, into its magical atmosphere. In addition, it energizes, saves from depression.
Produced from the best types of Indian and Ceylon tea, has a delicate taste.
TET Lord Gray
The leaves of this tea are large, more than 2.5 cm long, twisted into "scrolls". The smell of the drink is gentler than that of other bergamot teas.
The producers managed to achieve excellent taste due to the balance of the main components of the drink - black tea and bergamot.
Ahmad
This drink is considered royal. There is a description of the traditional British five o’clock tea party (at five o’clock) in the royal family, when tea of the best Ceylon varieties with the addition of bergamot is served with light snacks and various types of cookies.
Richard
According to some online reviews, this tea feels "exaggerated" - too much bergamot, which interrupts the aromas of tea. In addition, the manufacturer decided to flavor the drink with citrus zest.
May
“Aromatic bergamot” (the so-called tea variety) is light, fragrant, with an aftertaste of mint and citrus fruits.
As a minus, they call the possible presence of a dye in the tea leaves, since the drink very quickly acquires a thick, rich color, which usually does not happen with natural products.
Belvedere
Black tea of this brand is enriched with flavors and aromas of flowers and bergamot oil. The manufacturer tells how tea is made: using gentle technology that preserves the beneficial properties of natural products and their taste.
Azercay
The raw materials for this black tea with bergamot are harvested on the tea plantations of Azerbaijan. It is medium-leaved, the drink from it turns out to be a thick, golden-red hue.
Julius Meinl
The bright bouquet of Indian black tea and natural bergamot allowed the producers to create a mood-enhancing drink that is a great start to the day. We wrote more about the range of Julius Meinl tea and coffee.
It also helps to focus attention, refresh thoughts. It is recommended to drink it with milk and sugar..
Riston
This drink contains Ceylon tea and bergamot oil. According to reviews on the Internet - one of the best packaged teas of this type on the Russian market.
There is a little bit of bergamot in it, and the tea turns out to be rich, with a slight citrus bitterness.
The following brands can be added to this list, which are also not bad, but less popular: Akbar, Princess Noori, Assand, Grace and others.
The teapot is poured with boiling water. Pour tea leaves into it and pour boiling water over it. Consumption of tea leaves - a teaspoon per glass of water. Insist for a few minutes.
Such tea is served with chocolate and pastries, best of all - lemon or orange (for example, cookies or croissants with filling), but cinnamon will not work - its strong aroma can push bergamot "from the first roles".
If you have bergamot leaves at your disposal(fresh or dried), you can brew green tea in a separate teapot, and citrus fruit leaves in another. Then mix the contents of both teapots.
No matter how economical the hostess is, it is not recommended to use one tea leaves twice, diluting it with water - the tea will lose both in color and in taste.
The program “Live healthy!” will tell about tea with bergamot:
Application
Can bergamot be used for anything other than culinary purposes? Tea with this fruit is used as a medicinal drink for bronchitis, to relieve stress.
If you need to treat an abrasion or cut, you can do this by applying a bag of brewed tea to the affected area.
In perfumery, bergamot is used to prepare various aromatic and tonic products. In cosmetology - as an antiseptic for the face and a hair conditioner.
Bergamot has been successfully used against age spots on the skin.
If a person has an allergic reaction to citrus fruits, bergamot can also turn out to be “out of court”, so you need to start using tea with this flavor with caution.
And even in the absence of allergies, a sense of proportion should be observed - doctors recommend drinking no more than four cups of bergamot tea per day.
Be especially careful with bergamot oil.- if it is used for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, you can not apply it to the skin in its pure form, you can get burned.
Drinking bergamot tea at night is harmful - it can lead to insomnia, as it has an exciting effect.
There are a huge number of tea companies on the world market offering drinks under different brands to the buyer, but almost every one of them has the classic Earl Gray in its assortment, which is especially loved and popular in the UK.
History of creation
Tea has been drunk for several millennia, but in just over 200 years it has become a widespread global commodity. Before that, the so-called Chinese grass was known, which was expensive, had an incomprehensible taste and caused distrust, like everything new. The beginning of the conquest of the world by tea is considered to be the period of development by Europeans of the coffee business in Ceylon, which, having failed, gave place to tea plantations. Earl Gray tea stands out among the favorite varieties of the drink today, which is already considered a classic and the best among flavored products of its kind.
Despite the short history of existence, this drink has acquired a huge number of myths and legends, most of which are just fiction. Some talk about the miraculous rescue of one of the courtiers of the Chinese government by close associates of Sir Charles Grey, the earl and then British Foreign Secretary. As a token of gratitude, the Chinese subject presented the count with a box of incredibly fragrant black tea with a description of how it is produced.
That Charles Gray
At that time, and it was in the first half of the 19th century, the count was the owner of tea plantations in Ceylon, so he correctly perceived and implemented the information about the new product.
According to another version, tea from the plantations of the count was transported to the continent on a ship, in which, along with tea bags, there was expensive bergamot oil at that time. During a strong storm, oil was poured on tea, from which it acquired amazing aromatic and taste properties. It is difficult to find out exactly how black tea with bergamot began to be produced, but its name comes from the name of a famous politician and titled person of the United Kingdom.
History is silent about the exact facts of the appearance of Earl Grey. It is assumed that the Chinese learned to flavor black tea with orange peels, but the tradition of adding oil to tea originated in Ceylon. Be that as it may, but today this product is in demand on the market and is loved all over the world.
Description
Earl Gray Bergamot Tea is a leaf, granular or bagged product consisting of black tea flavored with bergamot oil. On the market you can find Earl Gray with the zest of this fragrant fruit. The composition of the product can only include tea itself and oil or pieces of bergamot zest. In China, there is a tradition to flavor tea with a close relative of bergamot - orange.
Bergamot is a hybrid obtained by crossing two representatives of citrus fruits - orange and citron. The fruit itself has a pronounced bitterness in taste, but the oil from its peel has a unique aroma and beneficial properties. To obtain bergamot tea, its leaves are impregnated with oil and allowed to dry. The description of the aroma of the finished drink can be expressed in a nutshell - light citrus with freshness and bitterness.
Earl Gray black tea is produced on the basis of Chinese, Indian, Ceylon leaves, including long leaf varieties. Not so long ago, green and even elite white tea with bergamot appeared on the market.
Bergamot oil is today produced in one region of Italy, the fruit is grown insignificantly in Africa
Tropical fruit oil, which is grown in the largest volumes in Italy, is considered to be beneficial for health just like hundreds of years ago. It is used in cosmetology, food and perfume industry. When flavoring a tea leaf, it is covered with an easily weathered film of their bergamot esters, which give it a characteristic aroma and flavor.
Such a product must be stored in airtight containers:
- ideally, first put the tea in a linen bag, and then place it in a glass or tin jar;
- do not store it near strong-smelling products, especially coffee and spices;
- such tea is stored less than regular tea, as it tends to lose its aroma.
Many tea brands are engaged in the production of a drink with bergamot. On the Russian market, it is represented by such brands as:
- Dilmah;
- Greenfield;
- Ahmad;
- Lipton;
- twinning;
- Newby;
- Wriston;
- Hayles and others.
Leaders among packaged drinks are Lipton, offering Earl Gray in pyramids, and among loose drinks, Greenfield, offering Ceylon leaf tea with Fantasy bergamot.
Earl Gray is not only a delicious and fragrant drink. It combines two amazing properties. On the one hand, it tones, stimulates the brain and nervous system as a whole. On the other hand, it relaxes and helps to fully relax after a working day.
The tea drink has been familiar to people for a long time, only about 2 centuries ago it became very popular and famous in all corners of the planet.
There are many recipes, ways to brew and serve tea. Almost every country has its own analogue of a tea drink.
History and manufacturer of tea
Earl Gray is considered one of the most famous flavored teas. Classic Earl Gray - black with bergamot. The history of the origin of this tea is very interesting, it tells that in 1838 merchants transported various goods for trade by ship, among them were luggage with black tea, and they also purchased bergamot oil in one of the ports.
The ship was caught in a severe storm and the bottles of bergamot oil simply broke and "spoiled" all the tea luggage. At that time, tea was quite an expensive product, as well as bergamot oil, so the merchants decided to sell the tea anyway, so as not to incur losses.
They did not expect that ordinary customers would like a bergamot-flavoured tea drink. Since then, Earl Charles Gray, who owned the ship with the cargo, has been engaged in the supply of tea products and amazing flavors. So, a simple storm gave the world a wonderful and aromatic drink.
Variety and assortment of tea
As mentioned above, Earl Gray tea is exclusively black tea with bergamot. A little later, Earl Gray with bergamot and lemon came into production. On the shelves in the store, you can find tea bags, as well as large-leaf tea leaves.
The drink has a great taste and aroma, high quality, but quite reasonable price.
Reviews
Positive reviews
Julia, 25 years old, Samara
One day I decided to change my life, to change absolutely everything, even my favorite tea, and one day walking around the supermarket I came across tea with Earl Gray bergamot. The taste is simply gorgeous, enjoy every sip. I recommend it to everyone, the price is quite satisfactory, and the quality is very pleasing.
Kostya, 34 years old, Peter
